VENEZUELA WILL DEFEND ITSELF
Last Weekend saw the military incursion into Equador by Colombian soldiers, who murdered 16 guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), including Raul Reyes, the FARC second in command, inside Ecuadorian territory. Columbia has a far-right government that is a key ally of the USA.
Leftist Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa made a televised appeal Sunday for international solidarity with Ecuador in the wake of Colombia`s “planned aerial attack” and subsequent “unacceptable aggression” perpetrated by 60 Colombian ground troops “with full knowledge that they were violating our sovereignty.”
Venezuela also borders Colombia and following the raid the Columbians have claimed they retrieved computers that contained incriminating evidence that Venezuela is assisting FARC to develop a dirty bomb – the old Weapons of Mass Destruction line being rehashed!
The response of Hugo Chavez, a key ally of Equador, has been exemplary. He mobilised ten battalions of the army to the Colombian border, to make clear that any aggression against Venezuelan territory would be robustly met, but that the troops were only being defensively deployed.
Venezuela and Equador have also used the incident to diplomatically isolate Colombia.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, has said: “we cannot be in agreement with the non-respect of borders and we lament that Ecuador has been assaulted.”
The Argentine foreign ministry said “Argentina is dismayed and very worried about what is evidently a violation of the territorial sovereignty of a country in the region”
Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte declared, “Paraguay vindicates the sovereignty of nations, the self-determination of peoples, and condemns all external aggression, all usurpation, all forsaking of the territorial sovereignty of nations.”
Peruvian President Alan García expressed “enormous preoccupation” and condemned Colombia`s incursion into Ecuadorian territory as “unacceptable,” calling for urgent action by the Organization of American States (OAS).
The Bolivian Foreign Relations Ministry called any act of violation of national sovereignty “unjustifiable,” and called for a “peaceful, long lasting, humanitarian” solution based on “a climate of understanding and mutual respect.”
Cuba`s former president Fidel Castro diagnosed the situation as a “consequence of the genocidal plans of the Yankee empire,” and declared that once again, after a long history of such attacks from the U.S. and its allies, “the trumpets of war are heard mightily in the South of our continent… this is nothing new! It was foreseen!”
Venezuela solidarity also came to London this week, with Tuesday’s protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
On Tuesday 4 March, around 100 supporters of Venezuelan sovereignty showed their opposition to ExxonMobil’s hostile action towards Venezuela with a peaceful show of support outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, organised by Venezuela Information Centre. Amongst those attending the event were MPs Colin Burgon, Jeremy Corbyn, Jon Cruddas and Adam Price, representatives of the trade unions SERTUC, TSSA, UNISON and UNITE, National Union of Students Black Students’ Officer Ruqayyah Collector, Green Party international representative Joseph Healy and prominent members of London’s Latin American communities.
The event took place as Venezuelan oil company PdVSA continues its challenge to last month’s decision by an English court to freeze its assets following legal action by ExxonMobil. When Venezuela decided to increase control over its oil resources last year, 30 out of 32 contracts with foreign companies were successfully renegotiated. ExxonMobil declined the terms offered and refused amicable settlement of the dispute through arbitration under the auspices of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, a body of the World Bank, as sought by the Venezuelan government.
Chavez’s warmongering is very dangerous for the region. By ordering his tanks to amass at the border he is playing with fire; this is exactly how WW1 started.
Every decent leftist should denounce this warmonger and express their solidarity with the democratically elected government of Columnbia against these drug running, hostage taking, FARC terrorists.
Comment by Ed D — 6 March, 2008 @ 1:54 am
But Ed - you are not a leftist - so why are you posting on this blog?! Why should you tell us what “every decent leftist” should do? Get a life!
Democracy in Latin America = rejection of U.S domination!
Comment by Ed Dumbass — 6 March, 2008 @ 2:18 am
Gringos imbeciles, hablando de America Latina, region que desconocen completamente. Uribe, les guste o no, es uno de los presidentes mas populares que tuvo Colombia. Votado por amplia mayoria por el pueblo colombiano, algo que no se puede decir del dictador Castro. En los documentos encontrados por el ejercito colombiano se comprueba por sobremanera que Chavez colabora con la guerrilla antidemocratica FARC…
Down with Chavez, down with Castro! Democracy for LatinAmerica!!!!!!
Comment by FromSouthAmerica — 6 March, 2008 @ 5:22 am
Uribe was first elected President in 2002 with 53% of the popular vote. Today Uribe’s approval rating hit 81%, after 6 years of goverment. Do you know why, gringo? Because he is destroying the FARCs
http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/2008-01-24/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3930782.html
When was the last time that Castro was elected in a free election? NEVER!!! You dont know sh.t about South America, you cant even speak spanish!!!!! Do you know why the ape is overreacting, sending 10 tanks batalions to the colombian border?!?!?! Because he knows that he is going to lose the next regional election…
No hablen de America Latina si ni siquiera hablan el idioma, gringos brutos…
Comment by FromSouthAmerica — 6 March, 2008 @ 5:33 am
#4 clearly can do nothing but insult opponents and we could ask why Collombia has not had any patrols on 1300km of its border and then makes accusations about Chavez when he tries to patrol the border to stop trafficking etc.
This rubbish was not strted in Spanish, but by a recent article in the Observer that made allegation after allegation with no evidence of Chavez being linked to FARC. There is no evidence, but Uribe continues to spin this out whilst the paramilitaries continue to murder trade unionists and peasant leaders.
The very tone of our FromSouthAmerica friend is clearly war like and shows no respect for any neighbour’s sovereignty; such is the control of the media in Bogata that he may not even be aware that the Colombian governmment has apologised for the incursion.
The Exxon business is much more serious in some respects as the British courts were deliberately chosen by the multi-national company as the best way of carryingout a show trial against Venezuela. The appeal is about Exxon freezing $12 billion of PdVSA’s assets in Britain. PdVSA does not have anything like those assetts in Britain, therefore the whole business is clearly political, aimed at undermining the sovereign right of Venezuela to control its own resources and use the oil profits for its social programme and much needed economic investment.
30 out of 32 oil companies accepted Venezuela’s sovereiggnty and negotiated a very good compensation deal. Exxon - represented commercially in Britain by Esso - have followed an aggressive line in relation to Venezuela.
However, with the incursions in to Ecuador and Exxon’s actions, we have to ask who is really behind this dual attack on sovereignty?
Comment by howard t — 6 March, 2008 @ 6:47 am
No hablen de America Latina si ni siquiera hablan el idioma
¿Por qué cree que no hablamos el idioma?
Comment by Phil — 6 March, 2008 @ 7:59 am
It makes my heart swell with pride to see Venezuela playing a leading role in isolating the trade union murdering gringo puppet regime in Latin America. Chavez has skilfully out manoeuvred Uribe at every juncture, exposing him as an incompetent dick for the whole world to see.
Victory to Venezuela and Ecuador!
Down with the butcher Uribe!
Comment by Joepolitix — 6 March, 2008 @ 8:34 am
6 MARCH Remember the victims of para-militarism, para-politics and the crimes of the State
FOR THE DISAPPEARED! FOR THE DISPLACED! FOR THE MASSACRED! FOR THE EXECUTED!
Common Graves - Never Again! Forced Displacement - Never Again!
11am Parliament Square (opposite Houses of Parliament) and No More Military Aid To Colombia organised by Justice for Colombia , ICTUR, Unite supported by Latin American Workers Association and the Collective for the Humanitarian Accord
5.30pm – 7.30pm Vigil opposite Downing Street, Whitehall organised by Colombia Solidarity Campaign, the Collective for the Humanitarian Accord, Latin American Workers Association and Movimiento Ecuador en el Reino Unido, MERU.
Down with State Terrorism in Colombia ! Defend Grass Roots Organisations! No More Dirty War! No More Military Aid!
1pm Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, BS8 1RJ Organised by Bristol Branch of Colombia Solidarity Campaign
Ecuadorian Movement in the UK (MERU). 4pm Saturday 8 March International Womens Day SOAS Student Union, University of London, 10 Thornaugh Street, Russell Square WC1.
More information: www.movimientoecuador.co.uk or email info@movimientoecuador.co.uk
————————
Posted by Justice for Colombia | Date 6 March 2008
World Wide Support for March 6th Events
Today will see protest events held around the world in support of the victims of violence in Colombia. The day of action, called for by the National Movement of Victims, has received the backing of the international trade union movement as well as numerous high profile individuals both in Colombia and abroad. Whilst the largest events will be held in Colombia, here Justice for Colombia, provides details of the various supporting activities being held in other countries around the world.
For those in London:
Justice for Colombia has joined with the British trade union Unite, the International Centre for Trade Union Rights (ICTUR) and various groups representing the Colombian community in Britain to arrange a
protest vigil in Parliament Square at 11am.
contact the JFC office on 0207 794 3644.
For details of similar events being held in other countries around the world please see the below list. Contact JFC if you would like any further information.
France
Paris, 6pm meeting in the ‘Plaza de los Derechos Humanos’ in Trocadero followed by a march to the Eiffel Tower.
Marseille, 5pm vigil in the old port (Vieux Port).
Lyon, 3pm vigil in the Place de la Comedie, Hotel de Ville.
Rennes, 5.30pm vigil in the Place de la Mairie.
Grenoble, 6pm vigil in the Place Felix Poulat.
Toulouse, 5pm vigil in the Place de Capitole.
Germany
Berlin, 4pm event at the ‘Galeria de la Memoria’, Pariser Platz/Brandenburger Tor.
Dusseldorf, 5pm event at the ‘Galeria de la Memoria’, Martin-Luther-Platz, vor der Johanneskirche.
Munich, 4pm event in the Marienplatz.
Cologne, 1pm march in the Cathederal Plaza.
Magdeburg, 5pm event in the centre of town, Breiter Weg.
Frankfurt, 6pm event, location not yet known.
Spain
Madrid, 7pm event in the Plaza de la Villa.
Barcelona, 7pm event in the Plaza San Jaume.
Bilbao, 7pm event in the Plaza Arriaga followed by a march to the Colombian Consulate.
Gijon, 7.30pm event in the Plaza del Parchis.
Salamanca, 7pm event in the Plaza Mayor.
Palma de Mallorca, 8pm event in the Plaza Espana.
Tenerife, 5pm event in the Plaza de la Candelaria de Santa Cruz.
Valencia, 8pm event in the Plaza de la Virgen.
Switzerland
Bern, 5pm event in the Waisenhausplatz.
Geneva, 5pm event in front of the Poste de Montblanc.
Austria
Vienna, 6pm event in the San Stephan Cathederal.
Belgium
Brussels, 1pm event in the Place Luxemburg.
Italy
Turin, 11am-5pm vigil at the corner of Via Verdu and Via Sant’Ottavio in front of the Palazzo Nuovo.
Sweden
Stockholm, 6pm event, location not yet known.
Umea, 5pm event at Radhustorget.
Norway
Oslo, 6pm event at the Oslo Parliament building.
Stavanger, 7pm event in the Plaza de la Cultura.
Ireland
Dublin, 6pm march from the Post Office in O’Connell Street.
Netherlands
The Hague, 6pm event at Het Plein.
United States
Washington, midday event in the Dupont Circle.
New York, 4pm vigil in front of the Colombian Mission to the United Nations (140 E 57th Street, Lexington).
Miami, 6pm vigil in front of the Colombian Consulate.
Boston, 4pm march along Park Street.
San Francisco, 7pm event at the Mission Cultural Center, 2868 Mission Street.
Chicago, 6pm event, location not yet known.
Minneapolis, 6pm vigil at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, 2742 15th Avenue South.
Canada
Montreal, 6pm event at the Simon Bolivar cultural centre at 394, boul de Maisonneuve Ouest.
Toronto, midday vigil at 1 Dundas West outside the Eaton Centre.
Ottawa, midday event at the Colline Parliament Building.
Quebec, various different events: 10am at the Charles de Koninck building at the University of Laval; midday in front of the Gabrielle Roy Library; 5pm march from the Gran Teatro de Quebec towards the Plaza D’Youville.
Australia
Sydney, 11am rally in front of the Colombian Consulate (100 Walker Street).
Melbourne, 1pm rally in front of Parliament House, Spring Street.
Perth, 5pm vigil at the Wesley Church, Hay Street.
Argentina
Buenos Aires, 11am event in the Plaza San Martin and 5pm vigil at the Obelisco.
Chile
Santiago, 7pm event at the intersection of Alameda and Calle Ahumada.
Ecuador
Quito, 11am march from the Plaza Foch to the Colombian Embassy (Colon 113 and Amazonas).
Venezuela
Caracas, 10pm event in the Plaza Brion de Chacaito followed by a march to the Colombian Embassy.
Maracaibo, 10am march from the Plaza Angel to the Colombian Consulate.
San Cristobal, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.
Barinas, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.
Merida, 9.30am march from the Youth Institute of Merida to the Colombian Consulate.
Barquisimeto, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.
Puerto Ayacucho, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.
Valencia, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.
Nueva Esparta, 10am event in the Plaza Bolivar.
Maturin, 9am event in the Plaza Bolivar.
Puerto La Cruz, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.
Mexico
Mexico City, 1pm event in front of the Colombian Embassy.
Uruguay
Montevideo, 6.30pm event in the Plaza Libertad.
6 MARCH Remember the victims of para-militarism, para-politics and the crimes of the State
FOR THE DISAPPEARED! FOR THE DISPLACED! FOR THE MASSACRED! FOR THE EXECUTED!
Common Graves - Never Again! Forced Displacement - Never Again!
11am Parliament Square (opposite Houses of Parliament) and No More Military Aid To Colombia organised by Justice for Colombia , ICTUR, Unite supported by Latin American Workers Association and the Collective for the Humanitarian Accord
5.30pm – 7.30pm Vigil opposite Downing Street, Whitehall organised by Colombia Solidarity Campaign, the Collective for the Humanitarian Accord, Latin American Workers Association and Movimiento Ecuador en el Reino Unido, MERU.
Down with State Terrorism in Colombia ! Defend Grass Roots Organisations! No More Dirty War! No More Military Aid!
1pm Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, BS8 1RJ Organised by Bristol Branch of Colombia Solidarity Campaign
Ecuadorian Movement in the UK (MERU). 4pm Saturday 8 March International Womens Day SOAS Student Union, University of London, 10 Thornaugh Street, Russell Square WC1.
More information: www.movimientoecuador.co.uk or email info@movimientoecuador.co.uk
Comment by Donkey — 6 March, 2008 @ 8:59 am
I must admit, I don’t think much of the Venezuala soldier’s Camoflarge. I personaly think the standard Green and Black would work better
Comment by Scott — 6 March, 2008 @ 9:06 am
Recent events have left me more convinced than ever that we need some kind of anti-imperialist alliance to bring the ongoing struggles in Latin America and the Middle East together and understand them as part of a global struggle against US imperialism.
The antiwar movement has failed to offer any meaningful resistance or challenge in the UK to the British government’s policies in support of US imperialism. Used as an SWP-front, it rejects Cuba as socialist and therefore worthy of solidarity, it increasingly exhibits opposition to Chavez, and never mentions ever the Farc or the struggle in Colombia.
It is a joke, shorn of all politics or anything even approaching a sharp political analysis of the world. After five years, when one solitary protester in the shape of Brian Haw, has had more of an impact than the so-called mass movement, the STW leadership in the shape of the SWP needs to be held to account.
Just look at the latest batch of slogans for March 15.
Troops Out
Don’t Attack Iran
End The Siege Of Gaza
The only word missing at the end of each of them is the word ‘please.’
The anodyne content of the aforementioned slogans reflects the fact that the movement has turned right and that the SWP leadership are more concerned with appeasing the CND, pacifists, and left liberals in the movement than they are with mounting any meaningful challenge. It is a movement that has completely run out of ideas, and which has ignored the working class. It has from the outset been focused on moral outrage rather than material necessity, sacrificing quality for breadth and achieving neither.
The slogans for March 15 should have been something along the following lines:
Smash US Imperialism!
End Israeli War Crimes!
Support The Arab Resistance!
I say it is time for an anti-imperialist alliance which brings under one tent every struggle currently being waged against US imperialism, both economically and militarily. This is the only way forward. The SWP are clearly not up to the task. They have failed, the antiwar movement has failed, and has degenerated to the point where it is now about as effective as a pond of ducks.
Comment by Veritas — 6 March, 2008 @ 11:38 am
Veritas - you don’t have to wait for the SWP to get it right - you can involve yourself in anti-imperialist work by joining the campaigns which do have a broad base - Cuba Solidarity, Palestine Solidarity, Venezuela Information Centre, Justice for Colombia or you can keep going on about what should be.
You don’t need SWP permission to get involved!
Personally, I’d like SWP involvement on the basis of respect for all those involved, but I’m not waiting for that.
Comment by victor allen — 6 March, 2008 @ 9:55 pm
Nice choice of phrase about Chavez being an ape from the right-winger there. Last Presidential elections in Colombia the turnout was just 45%, in Venezuela it was 75%. That tells a story in itself, in Colombia the poorest vote the least. As for elections being free and fair there see
http://www.colombiajournal.org/colombia266.htm
Just last year 40 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia. See http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/13/afl-cio-delegation-to-colombia-no-trade-deal-until-murders-union-busting-stop/
Also for some interesting background to Uribe see http://www.narconews.com/narcocandidate1.html
and
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB131/index.htm
Good protests today by the way. Lots of Colombians there and support from Ecuadorians as well.
Comment by Matthew Stiles — 6 March, 2008 @ 11:26 pm
Veritas:
Your slogans are indeed fierce, but the STWC is a broad alliance. You can get the hard left out on the streets by shouting “Smash US imperialism!” but the demo would only have a couple of thousand people. Use broad slogans that many diverse people can agree with, and you can get millions, as the STWC demonstrated. This is why they are “anodyne”: they attempt to create the “one tent” you yourself ask for.
In the backward context of British politics, by demanding that the anti-war movement only consist of the tiny number who would agree to “Support the Arab Resistance” you would shrink it to almost nothing! It would defeat the object.
On Venezuela - Viva Chavez! The posts from right-wingers above show just what a right-wing offensive is currently underway. Fortunately Colombia is isolated, as most of Latin America is supporting Venezuela and Ecuador.
Comment by little black sister — 7 March, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
I must agree with little black sister… In my little town of bromsgrove worcestershire we had real trouble gathering any significant anti war mobilisations partly due the impression that STWC was to ‘extreme’. Yet when we hooked up with local people who had family members serving in iraq and afganistan under a banner [20ft wide painted by Mark France] say simply ‘MILITARY FAMILIES AGAINST THE WAR’ on one side and on the other ‘BRING THE TROOPS HOME Please!’ This produce a groundswell of popular support and positive coverage in local papers. The only real casualty was Mark France who got expelled from the local Labour Party but as he shares the ‘fierce’ anti-imperialism of Veritas then this was bound to happen sooner or later.
If the current crisis on the columbian borders leads to war then clearly we will support the forces of the bolivarian revolution… but as the Red Armies disastorous intervention into Poland in 1920 proved the problem of trying to export social revolution at the point of a bayonet then… this is clearly not the prefered way to act… Sitting here in worcestershire i can’t say for sure what the ‘class basis’ of the Venezuelan state is but Social revolutions often don’t wait for scholastic marxist analysis but are forged through confusing battles..
Anyway… I say join and build respect renewal to do all the ‘fierce’ anti imperialism but continue to rebuild as broad wide and inclusive anti war movement that is open to all and excludes no one.
Anyway must go and put the tea on for my hubby.
lots of love charlotte
Comment by charlotte badger — 13 March, 2008 @ 8:50 pm